Folding up the Israeli flag
צילום: צפריר אביוב
Nisanit settlers say goodbye
Sing national anthem with tears in their eyes as two men lower Israeli flag. Settler: We’ve lived here as a community, and I want to thank the soldiers who protected us
With tears in their eyes, the residents of Nisanit sang the national anthem, as two men lowered the Israeli flag. Facing the settlers were IDF soldiers, who ceremonially positioned their guns and saluted. Some of the soldiers were unable to control themselves, and cried.
Avinoam Mesing, head of the settlement, who arrived in Nisanit 21 years ago, said in a choked voice, “This is not a leaving party. We have not come to say farewell, because it’s impossible to say goodbye to this place. We’ve lived here as a community, and I want to thank the soldiers who protected us and to the people of Kiryat Shmoneh, and the yeshiva students who came here. I’ve learned one thing here, and that is that we must go out and settle in towns across the land. Wherever we will go, we will remember Nisanit,” said Mesing.
ניסנית פינוי בית כנסת בוכים חיילים התנתקות (צילום: רויטרס)
Mesing became overwhelmed with emotion, and his wife tried to comfort him with a hug, as the two stood and wept for several minutes.
The ceremony took place in the same site that saw the declaration of the start of the community.
Throughout the day, the army helped residents to organize the leaving ceremony.
Men, women, and children stood and cried throughout the event, and many of the residents had left their homes for good before it began, taking one last look at their homes.
Then came the buses
Nisanit was established 21 years ago, and up to now had contained 300 families. Most of those have moved in recent days to the ‘cara-villa’ (mobile home) housing replacements in the Negev town of Nitzan, while 14 families remain in the settlement, planning to leave later, despite not knowing where they will sleep tonight.
After the flag was lowered, residents turned to look at their homes, in an apparent state of shock. Some felt their windows and doors, and one of the residents said he would prefer to burn his house rather than leave it.
Then came the buses, which took the residents to their new temporary homes.
Asher Akuka, one of the residents who has not left Nisanit, told how in recent days he began crying, something he hadn’t done even when his friends were lost in battles or terror attacks.
He said he wished could speak positively, but “when they want to expel me it is hard, and I blame a lot of people. All these years, the Yesha Council adopted us as its children. Twenty thousand people sat at Kfar Maimon, and were told to come to Gush Katif. Why didn’t they come here? A few days ago I got up for morning prayers and there was not even a minyan (10 or more men) at the synagogue.”
“I hear the messages of the prime minister’s office, saying that Gush Katif residents have a home and a job to go to, and it gives me a bad feeling, I associate it with the ‘work sets you free’ slogan.'"
